4 'ObamaCare' Actions To Take Now

Many of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act -- so-called ObamaCare -- will be going to affect in the coming year. Despite its potential benefits for Americans, the law does pose some issues for employers. 

During the AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference, Eddie Adkins of Grant Thornton and Cheryl Press of Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TEGE) at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) discussed how employee benefits and compensation are affected by healthcare reform, particularly when it comes to full-time and part-time employees. They reminded listeners that the IRS has rules defining exactly who is and who is not a full-time employee, and those rules are complex.

What can nonprofits do to prepare for these regulations? Adkins and Press said that action should be take now, not later. Specifically, they recommended taking the following steps:

• Take time to thoroughly understand the details in the regulations. With complexity comes the chance of misunderstanding or misinterpreting. A few details could make a difference. 
• Convene a meeting of all stakeholders, including individuals responsible for health plans inside and outside the organization. This includes the employee benefits director, the insurance broker and legal counsel.
• Discuss the details of the rules and how they apply to the organization, and identify changes that might be necessary to avoid mandated excise taxes. 
• Follow through with proper implementation.

12 Nonprofit Administrative Job Salaries

UPDATE: The deadline has been extended! Surveys completed by August 31st will be entered to win a Kindle Fire HD. Start the 2013 Salary and Benefits Survey today!

The nonprofit executive gets well-deserved credit for the success of the organization but, as is often the case, those below the positions of power also have an important role to play. As a result, it should come as no surprise that they are well-compensated for their work.

As we draw closer to the deadline -- July 26th -- to complete the 2013 Salary and Benefits Survey, we thought this would be a good time to show more of the data that comes from your participation. Below are 12 administrative positions and their salaries from the 2012 Salary and Benefits Report. That report would not have been possible had it not been for the participation of the 1,000 plus participants who took the time to complete the survey.

Here are the 12 positions:

• Administration Director -- $57,465
• Administrative Assistant, Intermediate Level -- $31,285
• Administrative Assistant, Junior Level -- $30,268
• Administrative Assistant, Senior Level -- $39,292
• Data Entry Operator -- $29,262
• Data Entry Supervisor -- $42,865
• Executive Assistant -- $43,593
• File Clerk -- $25,562
• Mail Clerk -- $32,780
• Meetings and Events Manager/Planner -- $50,223
• Office Manager -- $39,964
• Receptionist -- $26,886

Will these numbers change for this year? The only way to know for sure is to complete your 2013 Surveys so we can have as much data as possible for our reports. Start the 2013 Salary and Benefits Survey today and help all nonprofits with their financial needs.

Report: Budgets Up, But Women Underpaid At Central Florida Nonprofits

A new report from the Rollins Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center revealed that while budgets have increased at nonprofits in Central Florida, female executives are still being underpaid when compared to their male counterparts.

The 2013 Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Report, the latest installment in a bi-annual report, studied the compensation practices of over 160 nonprofits in Central Florida. Margaret Linnane, executive director of Rollins Philanthropy, stated that salary disparity between male and female executives represents a continuation of trend found in their previous reports. She noted, though, that the economy seems to be improving, with 70 percent of nonprofits surveyed implementing some kind of pay raise.

"Almost two thirds of nonprofits reported increased budgets and salaries, especially in the development director field," said Linnane. "There was also a higher turnover rate for employees seeking new jobs and considering retirement. These factors indicate a recovering economy, which we haven’t seen in the reports for some time."

The average pay for all CEOs/Executive Directors in the sample was $99,868 per year; for men, the average annual CEO/Executive Director pay was $115,731; for women, the average annual CEO/Executive Director pay was $87,693. While a majority (57 percent) of those surveyed was women, a greater number of men are found in the CEO/Executive Director positions of the largest organizations, which tend to pay higher wages.

You can view the full report by visiting Rollins Philanthtopy's website.

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Want more data on nonprofit salary and benefits? Purchase The NonProfit Times' 2012 Salary and Benefits Reports, and don't forget to participate in our 2013 Salary Survey (deadline for completion in July 26th).

Nonprofit Employee Retention And The NPT Salary Survey

If there's one thing a nonprofit can't afford in these tough times it's losing workers. Employee retention is an essential ingredient of any successful organization and, as a nonprofit manager, it's your responsibility to figure out what is going wrong if you are losing staff left and right.

High turnover can be caused by many things but the common denominator is usually salary. This is one of the many reasons The NonProfit Times' Salary Survey is so important. Simply put, your organization will find itself with a dearth of talent if your salary and benefits packages are not on par with similar nonprofits.

As was mentioned in previous blog posts, the data from the 2013 Salary Survey will be used to NPT's comprehensive Salary and Benefits Reports. Just for completing the Survey, participants will receive a FREE executive summary of the results and your entire organization will get 50 percent off the full 2013 Salary and Benefits Report. Once you get this crucial information, you will be able to see if the compensation you are offering your employees needs to be adjusted to remain competitive with similar nonprofits. 

Participating in the Salary Survey is easier than ever with some of the new features in this year's edition. Anyone who participated in the survey in 2011 or 2012 can use their existing data to jump start the 2013 survey completion process. You only need to change the data that is different. In addition, the survey has been streamlined to make for a smoother and faster experience for first-time users.

Participate in the 2013 Salary Survey today and help all nonprofits get on the right financial track!

Can You Fire A Volunteer?

Everyone knows a nonprofit can fire an employee for not doing a good job, but is it possible to fire a volunteer? According to Susan J. Ellis, a consultant specializing in volunteerism and a frequent contributor to The NonProfit Times, it is entirely appropriate given the right circumstances.

There is a belief among some nonprofit managers that they just can't fire a volunteer. According to Ellis, this stems from three mistaken attitudes:

• Thinking that the threat of punishment is the best way of getting good work;
• Thinking that available punishment guarantees prevention of unwanted behavior; and,
• Failure to understand why volunteers work without salary.

While it is appropriate to fire an under-performing volunteer, it should not be the first option. Ellis recommended trying these positive steps before resorting to discipline or dismissal:

• Careful screening of volunteers when they apply is essential, as it would be for employees. This includes clarification of expectations, on both sides, even if this means writing a letter spelling out the purpose of the volunteer work, anticipated outcomes or products, lengths of commitment and other key mutual decisions.
• Both employees and volunteers deserve full instructions — training, on how to do their work the best way.
• Motivate through approval. Managing through rewards and recognition of work well done is always more effective.
• Finally, understand that it is possible to terminate a volunteer. This is actually not as difficult as many nonprofit managers think. Remember, the manager has a legal right to designate who will be an agent of the organization, paid or not.

The 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For In 2013

Each year, The NonProfit Times conducts a study to determine which nonprofits are the best for which to work. Many organizations come forward to see if they can be named the best, but only one can stake the claim as the number one Best Nonprofit To Work For.

The winner for this year's report, The 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For 2013, is the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), taking home the title home for the second year in a row. The veterans nonprofit was also named the overall best large organization, meaning it has 250 or more employees. Coming in second in that category was Alzheimer's Association, followed by Natural Resources Defense Council, American Heart Association, Year Up, and Masonic Homes of Kentucky, Inc.

In terms of the overall rankings, WWP beat out by such well-known nonprofits as the LIVESTRONG Foundation (#19), DoSomething.org (#11), and Make-A-Wish Illinois (#30).

How do we come up with these rankings? It would seem that the things that make an organization great to work for are subjective, but there is a method to the process. Each year, NPT partners with Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Groups which conducts a survey of the nonprofits that wish to be ranked in the report. The survey studies all aspects of the organization including benefits and employment practices. Employees were also given a confidential survey of statements with which they could agree or disagree covering eight general categories: Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training and Development, Pay and Benefits, and Overall Employee Engagement.

The average for all nonprofits that participated was 85 percent favorable rating; for those making the Best Workplaces list the average was 89 percent. The best averages came in Work Environment, 92 percent for all nonprofits surveyed and 94 for those making the list; Relationship with Supervisor, 89 percent of all and 92 percent for those making the list; and, Role Satisfaction and Overall Employee Engagement, each with 88 percent approval for all and 90 percent for those making the list.

Now that you know how the report was compiled, you can head to our website to see the complete list of the 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For 2013.

5 Steps To Processing Workplace Accommodations

Most nonprofits will at some point have an employee that needs special accommodations. This is usually in the case of physically disabled employees, and nonprofits in every state are required to consider their requests even if they ultimately cannot be met.

As Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem noted in "The Big Book of HR," employers do have some protection from "undue hardship" in providing workplace accommodations for employees. They caution, however, that organizations cannot deny a request without first giving it serious consideration. They suggest the following process for requests for accommodation:

• Consider and document all requests. The responsibility applies to applicants and employees alike.
• Each request should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Evaluate all available options. This includes: Evaluate the job’s functions against the individual’s qualifications during the selection process; identify barriers to job performance; consult with the individual to find specific abilities and limitations relative to the job’s functions; determine if several accommodations are appropriate and determine the effectiveness, cost and impact on the job environment and, consider the individual’s preference;
• Document the possible accommodations considered and resources consulted; and,
• Document the interactive steps – discussions with the individual.

9 Telecommuting Procedures

One of the new opportunities available to job seekers is telecommuting. While it certainly has its advantage for potential employees, it can be a challenge for employers.

Programs such as Skype have allowed remote employees to better interact with their co-workers, but it can still be hard when someone is not physically in the office. If your nonprofit decides to allow telecommuting, there must be strict policies put in place to make sure things run as smoothly as possible.

Jeff Tenenbaum, chair of the Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group at Venable LLP, suggested several components that organizations need to include when creating telecommuting policies. These include:

• A clear definition of “telecommuting” for purposes of the telecommuting policy and any agreements between the employer and the employee;
• Easy-to-understand eligibility requirements;
• The steps of the telecommuting-approval procedure;
• Clarity that participation in the telecommuting program is a privilege and not a right, subject to revocation at any time for any lawful reason;
• Notice that abuse of telecommuting can result in disciplinary action, including termination;
• Understanding of the employer’s right to inspect the home-based work environment;
• A non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement;
• Statement of the employer’s right to change the terms of its telecommuting policy; and,
• Clear language that the telecommuting employee is expected to meet the same performance standards as on-site employees.

Get Your Salary Structure In Order For 2013

As we head further into 2013, many people are already honoring (or breaking) their New Year's resolutions, while some others haven't quite decided what they want to change. If you count yourself among that last group, here's a good suggestion: Make better decisions with your organization's salary structure.

The NonProfit Times' 2012 Salary and Benefits Reports are great resources for nonprofit managers that have questions about whether their employees are being compensated at a level that is up to industry standards. NPT offers five reports that feature the most up-to-date information on salary and benefits based on responses from organizations from across the United States.

The most popular report is the 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report. This detailed  report will give you the salary range for nearly 252 positions in the nonprofit sector, as well as the types of benefits these positions receive (flex days, bonuses, etc.).

The other four reports are:

• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report: This one is useful for organizations that already have a handle on their benefits packages, but need information to create competitive salary structures.
• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report: Similar to the report above, this is the one to purchase if your nonprofit only needs help with creating competitive benefits packages for its employees.
• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Top Executive Positions and Special Perks Report: Nonprofit executive compensation is so important to understand thoroughly. In order to attract the best people to be a part of a nonprofit organization, a very competitive environment, you need to make sure that you offer appealing compensation packages for hiring individuals who you wish to play an important role in your organization.
• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations New York State Salary and Benefits Report: Get the most current information available about nonprofit salaries and benefits in the state of New York. This report provides the latest and most complete salary information available on 170 nonprofit positions from entry level to the executive office including base salary, bonus practices, total cash compensation, salary increases, employee turnover, and more.

All five of these reports are available via our online store.

8 Nonprofit Conduct Policies

What's the first thing that happens when you are officially hired for a job? You usually have a meeting with the human resources officer, who informs you of the organization's conduct policies. It's basically a no-brainer to most people by know that it's unethical to steal office equipment, or other things like that. Yet sometimes it’s the little things that can really get you in trouble.

What was that about not sweating the small stuff?

Thomas Wolf, in his book "Managing a Nonprofit Organization," wrote that the little details relating to day-to-day work life should be properly explained to employees. Some of these relate specifically to in-office procedures, while some are more general.

Wolf listed eight examples of these policies that you should include in your employee conduct manual:

• Specific rules about how the staff is authorized to make purchases.
• Guidelines governing travel (such as per-diem limits, times when air travel is permitted, and mileage reimbursement rates).
• Controls on personal use of the office telephone.
• Rules governing the use and care of office equipment.
• Limits placed on the organization’s liability for personal property left on the premises.
• Guidelines governing outside work, such as whether the employer has first refusal on publications and whether the organization permits leaves of absences to do outside jobs.
• Intellectual property and confidentiality issues.
• Policies regarding working hours and conditions that address regular office working hours, flextime or overtime arrangements, and overtime compensation.

How To Minimize Risk From Employees

In the nonprofit world, risk usually comes from two sources: Employees or process.

According to Melanie Lockwood Herman in “Ready…Or Not: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Executives,” process-based risks are much easier to handle. If there is something in the organization that isn't working, all you need to do is determine the best possible steps to address the issue.

Dealing with risk from employees is a little trickier.

As opposed to process risks, Herman said that people risks are best addressed through prevention, detection, and correction. This is done through these four steps:

• Creating policies and procedures that clarify job responsibilities and standards of permitted and prohibited conduct.
• Communicating the nonprofit’s policies through written policy materials, online resources, and in-person briefings. You should also consider making policies available in multiple formats.
• Designing employee and volunteer training to address key aspects of the job and recommended approaches for coping with adversity and undesirable circumstances.
• Holding all personnel accountable for the organization’s key risk management policies.

12 Hiring Tips

Making crucial decisions based on a "gut feeling" is a time-honored tradition that is used in many different fields. Whether it's a baseball manager making a pitching change because he "likes the match-up" or choosing an ice cream flavor based on what it looks like, many people make gut-based decisions.

When it comes to hiring an employee, however, it's best to be a little more careful.

In their book "Being Buddha at Work," Franz Metcalf and B.J. Gallagher wrote that hiring managers pay too little attention to a job applicant's work history, ability to learn and grow, and ability to work well with others. In addition to these skills, Metcalf and Gallagher suggest 12 other tips to enhance your hiring process:

• Don’t limit your search to obvious candidates.
• Be clear about what is required in the job.
• Consider what it takes to be successful in your particular organization and/or department.
• Involve many people in the interview process.
• Ask behavioral questions. The best predictor of future performance is past performance. 
• Don’t use hypothetical questions.
• Hiring is a two-way process. Make sure the candidate has an opportunity to ask lots of questions.
• Don’t be in a hurry to hire. Haste in the beginning can be costly later.
• Use job tests when you can, whether it’s a typing test, a computer simulation, or a role-playing scenario.
• Be sure to consider the candidate’s future potential.
• Be honest with the candidate about the nature of the job as well as future growth potential.
• Look especially careful at someone who interviews well or tries to get away with glib answers to questions. This individual may be good at interviewing, but make sure he/she has other skills to back up those interviewing skills.

Reasons To Restructure Your Nonprofit

Change can be tough, but it is often unavoidable. This is especially true when it comes to restructuring parts of a nonprofit.

During the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 49th International Conference on Fundraising, Robin L. Cabral, director of development for the Sisters of Mercy Northeast Community, talked about a time when her organization needed to restructure its fund development office. This needed to be done due to a large decline in the number of women pursuing religious jobs.

It is tempting to make wholesale changes to your organization when things aren't going well, but there needs to be valid reasons to make it worth the effort. Cabral listed the following as compelling needs to restructure departments:

• When current development function has reached capacity in terms of effectiveness.
• To move toward a different model of fund development.
• To increase the sophistication of the department.
• To surmount a plateau in efforts and be successful.
• To employ a more productive and engaged staff and increase morale.
• To utilize existing resources more efficiently to raise revenue.
• To increase development revenues through a diversified and integrated fund development program.
• To decrease the use of time-consuming, ineffective and costly methods. 

8 General Human Resources Policies

Everyone knows about those major human resources policies that employees must follow. It’s basically a no-brainer that it’s unethical to steal office equipment, or something like that. Yet sometimes it’s the little things that can really get you in trouble.

So much for not sweating the small stuff.

In his book “Managing a Nonprofit Organization,” Thomas Wolf wrote that the little details relating to day-to-day work life should be properly spelled out to employees. Some of these relate specifically to in-office procedures, while some are more general.

Wolf listed eight examples of these policies that you should include in your employee conduct manual:

• Specific rules about how the staff is authorized to make purchases.
• Guidelines governing travel (such as per-diem limits, times when air travel is permitted, and mileage reimbursement rates).
• Controls on personal use of the office telephone.
• Rules governing the use and care of office equipment.
• Limits placed on the organization’s liability for personal property left on the premises.
• Guidelines governing outside work, such as whether the employer has first refusal on publications and whether the organization permits leaves of absences to do outside jobs.
• Intellectual property and confidentiality issues.
• Policies regarding working hours and conditions that address regular office working hours, flextime or overtime arrangements, and overtime compensation.

The Roles Of The Employee Conduct Policy

Nonprofit employees that thoroughly look through the Human Resources handbook they receive when hired probably know all about the organization's employee conduct policy. These guidelines are set so that people know what they can and cannot do in the workplace. If we lived in an ideal world these kinds of rules probably wouldn't be needed.

Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world.

Governing behavior is not the only role conduct policy needs to play. In "The Big Book of HR," Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem wrote that HR managers need to make sure that the rules accomplish six other goals to ensure stability in the office place. The policies should:

• Establish and define professional standards of conduct that are not acceptable, while stressing that the list is not all-inclusive and that there can be other infractions.
• Provide assistance to employees to change inappropriate behavior.
• Provide managers a means to address issues.
• Provide management responses if behavior does not change.
• Provide a flexible approach (progressive or corrective discipline) process to address conduct.
• Provide a communication mechanism for employees and managers.

So what happens when an employee breaks some of the rules? Discipline should follow, according to Mitchell and Cornelia, but that doesn't mean instant termination. Instead, it should follow these steps:

• Open dialogue/verbal counseling.
• Written counseling/letter of caution.
• Final written notice.
• Suspension.
• Termination.

Managing Nonprofit Diversity Conflict

Diversity has become the goal at every level of American life. Efforts to promote it have been rightfully applauded. Here's the real question: Are organizations correctly handling these efforts?

One reason people flock toward nonprofit jobs is the diversity in culture and the working backgrounds they support. There is a bigger lesson organizations missed if they are only promoting diversity for diversity's sake. In his book "The End of Diversity as We Know It," Martin R. Davidson argues that a better aim is to embrace and build upon differences among employees.

Davidson, who was a chief development officer at the University of Virginia, also acknowledges that diversity initiatives can cause resistance and even conflict among employees. This can manifest itself in what Davidson calls "identity abrasions," feelings of resentment or defensiveness that come up when people are criticized for being insensitive or ignorant. He wrote that to make these teachable moments positive experiences for all parties involved, he recommends human resources officers implement five "principles of behavior." They are:

• Pausing: There is a natural tendency to react, but taking time to identify feelings and consider options helps in responding effectively to criticism.
• Connecting to larger goals: Meaningful goals make it easier to remember why it is worth engaging with another.
• Questioning yourself: This will help you come to a realistic and accurate understanding of what is happening in the exchange.
• Seeking out balanced support: Rather than just complaining to your friends who will have your back, seek out the counsel of trusted colleagues.
• Shifting mindset towards opportunity: It takes persistent willingness to be introspective.

Recruiting From Outside The Organization

Cross-Posted From The Nonprofit Job Seeker

It's probably a safe assumption that your nonprofit is looking to find that great employee who will bring their organization to the next level. Too bad everyone else is, too.

 

Many nonprofits are turning to the Internet for their recruiting. Organizations are finding it much easier to find new employees by using social media sites and online job boards. These are all great recruiting tools, but it's important to remember they aren't your only options.

 

In “The Big Book of HR,” Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem remind organizations of the following recruiting methods to use in addition to the Internet:

• Former Employees: Not every employee that left went out on bad terms. If you have a good exiting process, it will be easy to identify the reasons they left, and which ones you would like to have back.
• Retirees: It is becoming increasingly difficult for retirees to live without some income. Consider bringing some of these individuals back to do special projects.
• Radio/TV Ads: If you have enough room in your budget, take out an ad on the radio or TV to invite job seekers to your career Website.
• State Employment Offices: All states have offices where you can list open positions. These agencies do a great job of linking job seekers to open positions, so don't discount the amount of help you can get from them.

Handling Employee Online Privacy

One of the big responsibilities of human resources is to make sure employees are treated fairly and their privacy is protected.  Employees expect what happens in the office to remain there, but today's technology allows people to easily spread the word out to countless people. 

It's up to HR to make sure this doesn't happen so the organization can avoid any legal problems.  But how to do this when the technology makes it so easy?  Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum and Lisa M. Hix of D.C.-based Venable LLP offered some tips on how nonprofits can better handle these sticky situations:

• Employees are going to use their computers for personal use whether you like it or not.  It's an unavoidable fact of life, so make sure staff is educated on what they can and can't post.
• You need a clear and reasonable policy that explains expectations on usage. It should reduce any expectation of privacy on the organization’s computers or email, phone/voicemail or Blackberry systems and the data on them.
• Make sure the policy you create addresses permissible use while guarding against potential legal pitfalls.
• Always be prepared.  Organize a team (consisting of legal, executive, marketing, and HR staff) before a crisis happens, not after.
• Want to check out a potential employee's online interactions?  Get written consent from them first.
• Screen all your candidates the same way.  Don't treat one different than the other.
• Remember that you can only decide not to hire someone based on online interactions if it's a non-discriminatory reason.  For example, you can't just not hire a person because you found out they have different political beliefs than you.

Hiring In Today's Job Market

Originally Posted on The Nonprofit Job Seeker

Recruiting the right employees is a tough task in today's job market. Nonprofits must be diligent in the hiring process if they are to be successful. It all starts with understanding the needs of the organization.

That sounds simple enough. There's an opening for a major gift officer at the organization so the ideal course of action would be to look for someone with that kind of background, right? That's the basic idea, but there needs to be more long-term thinking involved. An organization should not only hire for today's needs, but also for the future. Avoid the temptation to simply fill a pressing need with a candidate who seems promising. Make sure they fit the organization's plans going forward.

Next, you should take a step back and analyze the position you are attempting to fill. Ask yourself what kind of people do this job the best. For example, if your organization needed a new CEO, you would probably want to look for people with exceptional leadership abilities.

You should also remember to take advantage of your greatest resource: Your current employees. There's a good possibility that one of them has done the job in question before, and you can use their knowledge to figure out who the ideal candidate is. This will help refine your selection process, making the probability of a bad hire less likely.

It's a competitive job market out there, and there will be tons of candidates knocking at your door. It's up to you to use these tips to narrow the applicants to find your finalist.

Management Tip: 7 Essentials to Attracting Great Employees

Here is a recent management tip direct from The NonProfit Times website.  Check the management tips page often, as new ones are added every week.

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Wondering why your organization has trouble attracting good employees?

Well, that article in The New York Times reporting your CEO has been found certifiably insane sure didn’t help, but in fact when it comes to hiring and retention, the times they are a changing.

In their book “Brand For Talent,” Mark Schumann and Libby Sartain offer information meant to show that getting and keeping top employees means awareness that present-day employees are not the same as those who grew up during the Depression, even if they are dealing with the Great Recession.

Schumann and Sartain offer seven essentials that can help deal with a new situation.

• Wake up. Today’s job-seekers see themselves, not you, as the consumers. With a world of information at their fingertips, and the savvy to maneuver it, they are looking for something that satisfies them.

• Look ahead. You might have to market yourself as a good place to work. Think sensibilities, challenges, lessons, opportunities, the future.

• Create. A company must creatively market its employer brand to each segment of worker it hopes to secure.

• Segment. As with marketing, segmenting means adapting the talent brand message for each segment based on insight into audience needs and preferences.

• Implement. Be recognized, believed, personalized, and remembered.

• Sustain. There must be alignment of the culture, corporate identity and the consumer and employer brands.

• Survive. Be aware of and utilize social media to your benefit.